Balance

Today’s good habit: balance.  We’re talking all about a mix of work and patients and house-keeping.  I started off the day with a weights session courtesy of NROLFW.  After I got back to the apartment and showered, I grabbed my breakfast and headed to the shuttle.  I chowed down on some yogurt with a few blueberries, some rolled oats, chai latte protein powder, and flax seed mixed in.  Cinnamon on top.

Sadly this only keep me full for about 2.5 hours through specing some samples and organizing 69 pellets then labeling all 207 corresponding tubes.  Yea, we waste a lot of plastic in that lab, I swear.  Though I’m not sure we could do the procedures any other way.  Anyways, because I was hungry around 10 I stopped for a snack of raisins. 

A little refreshed, I finished up 24 of the 69 pellets in an hour and a half and then left for a working lunch.  Last of the leftover red curried chicken and cabbage anyone?

I made some revisions to my metabolism outline and then headed to clinic to see some patients.  When the appointments were over, I spent the rest of the afternoon working on a long list of patient follow up things: calls, checking on insurance, searching for results, etc.  A lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff is the time consuming part and the hunger-inducing part.  Cheese helped.

Yea…finally I escaped around 4:30 only to come home and read a whole other chapter in my embryology textbook due to a very recent syllabus change.  Thankfully it wasn’t a huge one, maybe ten to twelve pages.  Right about the time I was finishing up with the chapter, I actually had to head out to church for a storytelling ministry meeting.  We grabbed dinner at Potbelly’s by the church.  I ordered a chickpea veggie salad with red onion, egg, blue cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

When I got back to church to eat the salad, I used some fat free Catalina dressing from the kitchen.  Tasty.  We had a long meeting and discussed quite a few of the logistics of our ministry like which stories we want to gather, how we will do that, when, what medium we are going to publish in, etc.  When we wrapped up I came home to read more and then do the dishes.  Dessert cheered me up in the form of some butterscotch pudding with a glob of peanut butter, kind of like last night.

I could live in a vat of pudding.  Oh man.  Now it’s time to finish up some visual aids for my counseling session tomorrow and then head to bed.  Sleep well group.

Questions: What’s your favorite restaurant salad?
Do you like raisins or other dried fruits better?

F.R.I.E.D.

Hot pepper cheese balls: $2.30
Sweet potato fries: $2
Mini corndogs: $2.30
Mac & cheese wedges: $3.10
Onion rings (as big as your head): $3.10
-----------------------
A fried dinner al fresco with the co-workers: priceless

Swamped and Stuck

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a What I Ate Wednesday post.  Well that’s about to change!

This morning started off with an elliptical/abs workout over at the fitness center.  I did 20 minutes of cardio and then 15 minutes of ab exercises.  I used the routine from this 300 core challenge.  I was hurting by the end!  To refuel, breakfast was a chocolate protein breakfast cake complete with maca powder and wheat germ.  I topped it with gobs of peanut butter, syrup, and chia seeds.

It was consumed on the way to school.  I spent yesterday and today catching up on all the patients/results that I left behind when we headed to Florida.  I couldn’t, and still can’t, believe just how swamped I was from two days off.  I have four, count ‘em, four results to call out, two patients to call and gather info about, and my graduate thesis to set up.  Lordie, so much, so little time.  In fact, I fully intended on going to work at 11:00a but I didn’t end up there until 2:30p.  Oi!

During my busy busy morning I got hungry early around 11ish.  I hate how anxious it makes me to get hungry out of my routine.  I normally eat around noon so I was a full hour early.  However, I bite the bullet and ate anyways.  My lunch was a bowl full of  nonfat plain yogurt, cottage cheese, wheat germ, flaxseed, stevia, and delicious plums.

Thankfully it did the job and I was able to concentrate on the rest of my patient things.  The confession of the afternoon: I am a total sap when I read cancer records.  I mean can you imagine being told that you have a 10% 5-year survival rate?  Or what about that you are 28 and have stage four breast cancer?  How about that having children is not in your best interest because your cancer is estrogen receptor positive and being pregnant could aggravate that?  Finally, what would you say if an oncologist told you that you should consider that the cancer may take you before you can raise your child beyond their child years?  See, I may be a sap but you can’t tell me you wouldn’t be either in that kind of a situation… Later in the afternoon, before I headed across the street to work, I snacked on an apple because I was getting hungry again.

At work I got going unpacking a whole bunch of lab equipment that arrived on order this afternoon.  I cannot tell you the number of boxes of pipet tips I unloaded.  I ended up taking two whole boxes full of tips straight to the batcave (our excess storage room buried in the back of our LN2 room) instead of trying to find cupboard space for them.  While I was working I got hungry and took a few moments to eat a granola bar to ward off the sick feeling in my tummy.  I ate it so quick I didn’t take a picture but it was one of these babies.

At 4:30 I headed home only to get right back in my car to go to the lab for my blood draw that got botched yesterday.  Thankfully this time everything was in order and I got in and out real quick.

I will say I am a bit tired of being poked and prodded and stuck for blood so often.  I can only hope that this draw further clarifies what’s going on with me.  Perhaps after my appointment next Thursday things will fall into place.  Fingers crossed!

I was pretty ready to eat when I got home so I set to chopping up veggies for a salad after I walked through the door.  While I was slicing and dicing I turned on the broiler and roasted the last of my sesame marinated tempeh from last week.  I really do love the meatiness of tempeh on a salad.  Doesn’t hurt that it’s nice and salty too.

I used BBQ sauce for the dressing which honestly is probably my new favorite thing to do.  Perhaps it’s just cause I love the taste of barbeque.  Nomnom.  I’m not sitting here blogging with the Olympics on (go USA volleyball!) and a caramel rice cake smothered in mocha JIF and TJ’s chocolate & coffee grinder.

Delicious way to end the day.  The plan is to finish watching the volleyball match and then head to bed.  We’ll see how it goes.  I might cop out early.  I be one tired lady!!!  Sleep well group!

Questions: When was the last time you had your blood drawn?
What is the one question you always ask a new doctor the first time you meet?

“Beet” Me Up

Battlestar Galactica, what?!?

Surfing the web this evening produced this gem as part of EW’s “14 Sexiest Badass Fight Scenes”.  I was more than excited to see that my two beloved two pilots made the cut.  This episode where this scene comes from (Unfinished Business) is one of my absolute favorites of the series.  It has some great flashback cuts and it shows another side of the crew as they air their anger, annoyance, and frustration in the boxing ring.  They may be beating on each other but in the case of these two hotshots, it’s honestly out of love.  If that doesn’t make sense to you, you should really go and watch the whole series to get a feel for their tumultuous, fascinating, engrossing relationship.  Anyways, enough, I’ll stop now.  Seriously though, go watch!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This morning was a struggle.  My alarm went off and I rolled over only to stay in bed for another song.  Then, no matter how much I really didn’t want to do anything, I convinced myself to get up and do Insanity.  I did the Cardio Power & Resistance workout but man was I sluggish.  I managed to do it all, sure, but I was slower than normal.  I think it’s honestly because the last thing I had last night was a salad around 6p.  I don’t know that my body had enough fuel.  After my workout I showered, dressed and go myself to the shuttle to head to campus.  I ate my breakfast of the last bits of cottage cheese mixed with flax, wheat germ, cinnamon, and a nectarine on the way.

When I got to work I started pelleting 63 cell cultures for DNA.  Man, there were a ton.  The sorting and labeling alone took two hours.  Thankfully though, because this wasn’t my first rodeo, I managed to get 48 done before noon.  I stopped for a cheese cube break around 10:30 because I was starving.  My nibblin’ kept me satisfied through the last bits of pelleting though I was getting pretty hungry when lunch time rolled around.  I almost immediately scarfed down the salad I brought.  In the mix: red leaf romaine, carrots, celery, roma tomatoes, mushrooms, yellow pepper, nutritional yeast, and BEETS!  That’s right, beets are what made this whole salad delicious.  They were just a bit sweet and complimented the raspberry vinaigrette to a T.

Seriously though, this baby didn’t last long.  Fairly sure I was done before I started.  Haha.  After everyone finished their food around me they picked at some of the leftover desserts (key lime pie bars, red velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting, and pecan pie minis) from Matt and Ashley’s housewarming party on Saturday.  They have been making steady progress on all the treats which is good because as long as they’re in my co-workers stomachs, they’re not on my hips.  =P

After lunch I did the last of the pellets (49-63) and headed over to the student room for the patient prep portion of my day.  It was around two and I was already hungry again so I treated myself to a lil drumstick courtesy of my lab’s PI.  Dr. D really is awesome when it comes to being the greatest boss ever.  He is laid back and he brings ice cream for everyone.  You can’t get much better than that.

With my sugary pick-me-up in my tummy I proceeded to call my patients for Friday.  Thankfully both of my patient’s parents picked up the phone and confirmed their appointments and answered my questions.  I love it when that happens.  Makes things so much easier.  I must say I’m excited to see what Friday’s clinic holds.  I suspect both my patients have isolated conditions but we’ll see what happens!  Just before I headed to catch the shuttle I was hungry again so I crunched an apple as I finished things up at my desk.

This, of course, kept me full for all of 60 minutes and when I was home I was hungry again but I didn’t want to eat dinner at 5:15 in the evening.  So I snacked on some cucumber salad while I was trying to put off cooking.

My procrastination worked for about a half hour and then I was hankering for carbs so I made myself dinner.  I sautéed some onion and garlic along with quartered grape tomatoes, broccoli, and chicken & apple sausage.  I sprinkled some Italian seasoning and cracked black pepper on the veg as it cooked.  Then I tossed in some whole wheat penne and alfredo sauce.

As you can see, I ate this in the late evening sun that was streaming through my windows.  On the side I also had some toast smeared with butter and minced garlic topped with parmesan cheese.

The whole dinner was incredible.  I wanted to eat four more bowls.  I’m hoping the carbs will make Insanity a little easier tomorrow morning.  Plus they just made me nice a full and satisfied so this combo was certainly the right choice for me tonight.  Plus, it wasn’t all carbs.  There was protein and veg in there too in my defense!

I spent the evening watching some DVRed shows, including last night’s Bachelorette and some Hell’s Kitchen/Masterchef goodness.  I also read up on oligodontia (missing >6 adult teeth) and missing ribs.  Did you know that 5-8% of people have 11 pairs instead of the normal 12??  While doing all this I had another ice cream craving that I chose to indulge by eating the last bits of my cappuccino chip frozen yogurt blend.  Some chocolate syrup too.

Perfection on a plate in a mug.

As I go, I leave you with a tune since it’s that day of the week.  This song came to mind because I watched Cruel Intentions last night.  It’s played at the end of the movie and I think it goes pretty well with what’s happening in the plot.  I hope you like it.  I hope it takes you back (since it was released in 1998).  For me it reminds me of 5:15am ice skating practices in bloody cold rinks with no jackets!

Questions: How do you balance out a carb heavy dinner?
What’s your favorite pre-made ice cream treat?

Repeat Eats

Hello all!  Another day, another Wednesday, another “What I Ate” post.

So let’s get started.  Now, I’ll admit first off that today is almost an exact repeat of yesterday.  That happens from time to time but, second off, that means those foods must have been delicious right?  Oh yea.  My breakfast cake was chocolate today instead of vanilla though I still topped it with flax seed peanut butter, maple syrup, and chia seeds.

I think I eat these cakes so much because they’re portable and an incredibly great way to pack in all the refueling protein I need after my Insanity workouts.  They also have a track record of keeping me pretty full throughout the morning.  As it so happens, this morning was full of tubes, numbers, labels, and laughs.  Michael and I worked over in the clinical basement by ourselves from 8-12.  Thankfully we took some breaks.

And they were all sorts of sunshiny!  I loved it.  I basked and almost fell asleep like a lizard on a rock as I laid out on the sidewalk.  Yes, I am that classy.  Hey, when you’re stuck in a dingy basement all morning, you want to soak up as many rays as possible.  Finally, lunch rolled around and I was hungry by that point so I all but scarfed down my leftover corn chowder with TVP and blueberries.

By the time I was finished I was still wanting food but I decided to let myself sit for a bit and become full.  It worked and I stayed pretty satisfied while Michael and I returned to the basement for the whole afternoon.  Because I’m not in clinic on Friday, I didn’t have to do patient prep this afternoon so I took the time to make some more money.  When we called it quits for the day around 4p I was getting grumbly so I snacked on a sensible apple to tide me over.

After I got home I decided a quick errand trip was in order.  I ended up with a $3 dress from Goodwill, Slumdog Millionaire in paperback (I loved the movie so I figured the book can’t be too bad), a new pair of shorts, and some granulated and powdered sugar for cupcakes next week.

By the time I got home my apple had definitely worn off so I was hankering for some food.  Sadly, I had promised myself that I would eat a salad but I was really craving carbs so I ate up both.  My salad was almost an identical copy of last night’s but with no nooch and a different dressing, homemade ranch this time around.  On the side I made a grilled cheese with sandwich spread, spicy mustard, and a three cheese blend.

A bit later I kind of wanted dessert so I let ‘er rip with a single serving chocolate cake accompanied by some fudge brownie and cappuccino chip ice cream.  I was debating having this since I wasn’t necessarily hungry but I figured it was something I really wanted and I had calories to burn.  I’ve been really tired lately and I was batting about the idea that it was because I wasn’t eating enough this week.  To that end, I had dessert.  I realize there might have been a better way to get calories in but this was what happened, and it was delicious.  I even baked the single serve cake in a mini loaf pan I got last holiday season.  How adorable.

Now I think it’s time to wrap up this WIAW post and pack up for this weekend’s getaway.  It’s supposed to be bloody warm where we’re going so I’m thinking dresses and shorts are the way to go.  I wonder how light I can pack since we’re only going away for two days??  Challenge accepted!

Questions: Do you struggle with allowing yourself to have dessert?
Have you had the chance to lay out in the sun lately?

Rice And Anything

Ever have one of those days you don’t feel particularly productive but in the end you realize that you actually have gotten a lot done and you’ve had some great conversations along the way?  Yea, today was one of those days.  It started out with a 6am plyometric cardio circuit courtesy of Insanity.  Day 10 done!  Felt good.  Very sweaty, but good.  I am cautiously optimistic that I am getting better.  I don’t know for sure though so we’ll see as the workouts progress.  To refuel after my shower I had a breakfast cake.  Chocolate base with walnut butter, syrup, chia, and flax on top.

I was hungry by 10 afterwards though, which is the downside to doing an intense workout in the morning.  I’m hungry wayyy before lunchtime.  Kelsey, a co-worker of mine, and I were over in the clinical building so we couldn’t just run to the break room for a snack.  We stuck it out instead, filling our time with discussions of Mr. Grey and the books.  We just can’t get enough of the story.  We sound like school girls talking about it, not mid-twenty-year-olds.  It’s hilarious.  By the time lunch rolled around we practically sprinted over to our lab for food.  I had a bowl of black truffle & cheese ravioli topped with rehydrated TVP, steamed spinach, and light alfredo sauce.  It was awesome and thankfully filling.

My afternoon was spent doing patient prep.  I got a hold of one family which was great and all but they were the less complicated of the two patients I’m seeing on Friday.  I didn’t need to speak to them nearly as much as I needed to speak to the other one.  But hey, I’ll take what I can get.  I read up on Treacher Collins syndrome as I have never seen an individual with TCS before.  I love adding to my list of syndromes I've encountered!  =D  By the time I had finished prepping everything it was delightfully only 3:30 so I stuck around the student room for a bit and did some other work but then realized that I didn’t have a lot there to keep my busy so I ducked out to catch the 4pm shuttle and I read my book.  Mmmm, awesomeness.

At home I started getting a tad hungry so I made myself a sensible snack of yogurt and fruit in a coffee mug (the dishes may all still be in the dishwasher…at least they’re clean).  Strawbs and bloobs were the stars.  I wish blueberries weren’t so expensive all the time.  I really do love them.  Fruit always makes a nice snack probably mostly because you can have a lot of it without feeling bad about it.  Plus it’s refreshing.

After my snack I read a little more and then started making some Scotch Shortbread from The Joy of Cooking.  I sprinkled the top of it with turbinado sugar for crunch and boy did it turn out well.  It was my first time making shortbread and I’m not usually a huge fan (I mean, let’s face it, it doesn’t have chocolate anywhere) but this was great.  Smelled wonderful too.  I then made some salted chocolate chocolate chip cookies too.  Why the baking, you ask?  Phillip, a co-worker, is in the baking/giving mood and he’s whipping up homemade chicken pot pies for tomorrow’s lunch.  I figured the least I could do in return is dessert.  My specialty, his specialty.  Perfection.

Once the cookies were done baking I headed to the car and to Havana Café for Supper Club this month.  We all met at a little hole in the wall for some chow straight from Honduras.  On my plate: Imperial Rice (yellow rice with chicken, cheese, and olives), black beans and rice, veggie lasagna, mojito pork with onions, braised beef and peppers, plantains (HOLY YUM!), and a piece of yucca.  So basically rice and anything else of the plate was every bite I had!

I wasn’t a fan of the yucca as it was incredibly plain flavored so I didn’t eat it but I went back for seconds on basically everything.  The plantains really made my night though.  I fell in love with them when I went to Costa Rica back in 2007 and I haven’t been able to have them a whole bunch since so when I do, I really cherish it.  I may have had six pieces…

Now, after a wonderful day, I’m off to bed to read my way to sleep.  This second book is intense and I’m loving every minute.  I’m debating doing Insanity at 6am or letting myself sleep in.  I would do the workout later in the day, like 4p, so it wouldn’t be like I would skip.  It’s recovery day so not as intense and I think I could use the extra sleep.  Hmmm, we shall see.  It might honestly depend on how late I read!

Questions: Have you ever had plantains?
What’s the nicest thing a co-worker has ever done for you?

Manicure Me

Ever had one of those days where you found so many more reasons to love your coworkers?  Well, I hope you have because today was one of those days for me and it was awesome.  Despite the fact that I spent the whole morning on my feet amid cockroaches and dusty old rusty pipes, I have a wonderful time.  We laughed.  We giggled.  We probably divulged too much but it was all in good fun.  Made the time fly.

My mood was slightly saddened by lunch though.  First, I had to eat alone because all my coworkers went to the hospital cafeteria for lunch.  I didn’t have the time due to preclinic in less than a half hour so I wasn’t super pumped to eat by myself.  Second, my salad was not delicious.  It wasn’t really even tasty.  It probably had to do with the fact that this baby sat in a fridge for two days.  Everything tasted pretty similar, not freshness, no individual tastes of the veggies.  Honestly, not even salt and pepper could save this salad… Believe me, I tried it.

After lunch preclinic happened and I was not as well prepared as usual.  One of my patients needs an interpreter so I didn’t call them beforehand and the other I called yesterday but didn’t get a chance to connect with them.  They apparently called this morning while I was across the street at work and said they were coming but that they couldn’t answer any questions today.  So yea, I went into preclinic kind of naked on the information front.  To make things worse, the referral reasons for the both of my patients wasn’t super specific either.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

The next thing that happened really ruined my day though.  I went to catch the 4p bus and it wasn’t there, and it didn’t come.  Not until I called the dispatch for the company and complained.  Then a bus came around, a full forty minutes after I had started waiting.  I was less than pleased and all the bus driver could say was “Are you going to complain us?” Yes, that’s not grammatically correct but the driver is from another country so I let it go though every part of me wanted to correct him.  Anyways, I wasn’t in a great mood when I finally got home.  I figured some exercise would be good so I did 45-50 minutes of toning/cardio circuit training with Sexy Circuit by Flirty Girl Fitness.  Then I did another 20 minutes of cardio on the bike in the fitness center.  I started Insurgent (the sequel to Divergent) while I was pedaling and I am already sucked in.  It picks up right where the first one left off and I was already raring to go!

After my workout, my shower, and some chow I decided to return myself to that good day good feeling with a manicure.  But not just any manicure, an ORANGE one!!  I used this trick I found on Pinterest to help me out.  While I can freehand it, it’s much easier to not have to be so steady the whole time.

One thing: when I pulled off the hole guards I had to edge some of the nails with a toothpick.  Basically some of the color bled a bit underneath the guards but it honestly came off really easy.  I love the crisp edges.  I am very pleased with results and honestly, anytime my nails are done, I feel better.  More put together if you will.  =D  And now I’m off to sleep.  8am class is coming wayyy too quickly!  On a happier note though, this weekend is a family weekend!!

Questions: What color would you use for your nontraditional manicure?
What are your plans for Memorial Day weekend?

TGIF

Yesterdays happenings:

1. Lots of database work.  I processed some 400+ samples at work.

2. Fun rounds with one of the doctors.  He let me present the patients I had seen on consult with him on Monday.  I felt pretty cool.

3. Divergent reading.  I’m hooked.

4. Ascension Mass at church with confirmations, receptions, and reaffirmations.  I did the last one in front of the bishop.  I’ll admit I almost cried.  I’m sappy like that.  Afterwards we had cake.  It was delicious.

Today’s goings-on:

1. It’s Friday and that, in and of itself, is awesome!

2. 8am class which I get out of at 8:30 to see my first patient of the day.

2. I get to have dinner with my best friend who will have defended his thesis this afternoon.  He will officially be done.  I’m so proud of him!

Questions: How thankful are you that it’s Friday!